Sonic the Hedgehog: A New Enemy
by FoxRocks
Summary: Sonic is tired of dealing with the usual threat, Dr. Eggman, wanting to simply relax. However, one day, he is faced with an enemy much more evil and sadistic than he could have possibly imagined. As his life is ripped apart and he faces his worst challenges, Sonic must use all his strength to overcome his new enemy. Warning: Will have humor, but get very dark. Please enjoy!
1. A Typical Day

**Chapter 1: A Typical Day**

It was happening again. Again, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, better known as Dr. Eggman, was terrorizing Green Hill Zone. And it was up to the blue blur, Sonic the Hedgehog, to save the day and defeat Eggman.

Green Hill Zone was Sonic's home, a paradise filled with green fields, palm trees, flowers, lakes, and waterfalls. Sonic shared his first encounter with Eggman here, when he captured some of the animals of the zone. There were many other zones in the world, such as the complex maze-like Labyrinth Zone, the lively Casino Night Zone, and the fire-filled Marble Zone, all among many other locations. However, none of them were as peaceful and beautiful as Green Hill.

Of course, when Eggman was stirring trouble, nowhere was safe. He decided to pick on Sonic's home this time, capturing some of the inhabitants again - innocent animals who wanted nothing to do with the mad scientist. Sonic was informed of the incident when his best friend, Miles Prower, better known as Tails, saw Eggman abducting some of the poor animals.

Miles was a golden fox with blue eyes and two tails, therefore his nickname 'Tails' was given to him. With his two tails, he had the unique ability to fly. He was Sonic's best friend and sidekick, having assisted him on many adventures in the past. Tails was friendly and gifted with mechanical things as well.

Sonic was a blue hedgehog with bright green eyes, famed for being the "fastest thing alive". He wore red boots and white gloves, similar to Tails. Right now Sonic was on his way to find Eggman, running as fast as he could through the vibrant fields of Green Hill Zone.

He left a blue streak behind him, and some animals looked on in awe as the hedgehog sped past them. It was no wonder the good guys always prevailed; they had the fastest thing alive on their side! No matter how much of a genius Dr. Eggman was, who boasted an IQ of 300, Sonic was always able to foil his plans.

It took long enough, but eventually Sonic reached Eggman, who was having his henchmen load up the animals they had captured into a giant cage. Eggman had brought a flying machine with him, where he previously stored the captive animals. His henchmen were Orbot and Cubot, two robots who had assisted him on previous schemes. Orbot was a sarcastic, red and black robot who liked to point out Eggman's flaws. Cubot was a yellow and black robot, bumbling and sometimes confused in comparison to Orbot. Other than being good at annoying Robotnik, they proved useful at times.

Eggman watched Orbot and Cubot shove the animals into the cage, thinking ahead to how he could experiment with them. Dr. Eggman wore red-black-yellow clothes, a pair of sunglasses, and sported a large, brown, bushy mustache. He had a rotund, egg-shaped body, hence his nickname 'Eggman'. As Sonic's arch-rival, Eggman detested him, but still held a grudging respect for his determination at times.

"Move faster, you two!" Eggman commanded behind the robots. "We can't have that pesky hedgehog getting in the way, now can we?"

"Sorry to spoil things, Eggman!" Sonic remarked, making his presence known.

Eggman spun around to find Sonic, growling in disappointment. "You're too late, Sonic! The animals are almost all loaded into my cage! And before you can even think of rescuing them, I came prepared with a distraction for you!"

Suddenly, out of Eggman's flying machine came a robotic variation of Sonic – Metal Sonic. It was a machine Eggman had created in the past – an ugly robot with similar colors to Sonic, but instead of bright white and green eyes, the robot possessed malicious red and black eyes. Sonic prepared for battle, as Metal Sonic stared at his opponent.

"Destroy Sonic!" Eggman ordered the robot, pointing at his rival.

Upon command, Metal Sonic rushed at Sonic, almost as fast as its opponent. Sonic jumped out of the way just before Metal Sonic could hit him, and instead ran headfirst into a palm tree behind Sonic. Orbot chuckled, and then turned to face his master.

"Are you sure you made this robot function correctly?" Orbot inquired Eggman.

"Shut up, Orbot!" Eggman silenced his robot, baring his teeth.

Metal Sonic soon recovered from the hit to its head, and turned to face Sonic again. By then, Tails and Knuckles had arrived. Knuckles was another one of Sonic's allies, a red echidna known for his power and resilience.

"Thanks for dropping by," Sonic addressed his friends.

"Hey, Sonic," Tails responded. "I told Knuckles and brought him along – three is better than two, after all."

"Long time no see, eh Sonic?" Knuckles greeted Sonic.

Sonic grinned, and nodded. "Right; you guys free the animals – I'll take care of my metal counterpart here."

Tails and Knuckles rushed to the caged animals, but Orbot and Cubot were in the way.

"Don't let them take the animals!" Eggman commanded with a snarl.

"Uh… how?" Cubot asked, scratching the back of his head.

"JUST STOP THEM!" Eggman yelled, annoyed with Cubot's incompetence.

While Tails and Knuckles fought against Orbot and Cubot, Sonic continued his battle with Metal Sonic. Sonic managed to land a few punches and kicks at the robot to slow it down, but it didn't seem to be working. Deciding to take a different approach, Sonic ran in circles to have Metal Sonic chase after him. Eventually, the robot began to wear down, confused with the circular motion Sonic kept making in such rapid movement.

Finally, after a minute or so of making the robot run around in the circle, Metal Sonic collapsed to the ground, out of energy. By now, Tails and Knuckles had taken down Orbot and Cubot, who didn't put up much of a threat. With his strength, Knuckles broke the bars of the cage open, releasing all the animals into the wilds again.

"NOOOOOO!" Eggman cried, clasping his hands onto his head. "How could I lose?!"

"Uh… because you always do?" Sonic suggested, chuckling.

Tails laughed too, but abruptly stopped as he realized Eggman began to retreat to his flying machine.

"He's getting away!" Tails exclaimed. "I can't fly as fast as that machine!"

"I got this," Knuckles said, grabbing the large cage beside him.

As Eggman began to fly away in his machine, Knuckles swung the cage around for a few turns to gain momentum, then finally let go. The cage flew directly at Eggman's machine, and the collision was big; immediately, the flying machine came crashing to the ground, with Eggman still inside.

"CURSE YOU, SONIC!" Eggman yelled, shrieking as he hit the ground with his machine.

"Master! Are you all right?" Cubot asked, observing the completely destroyed machine and Eggman motionless inside.

"…stupid…Cubot…" Eggman muttered, grunting from the pain of the crash.

"All in a day's work," Sonic proclaimed, grinning with success. "Thanks for your help, guys."

"No problem, Sonic!" Tails replied.

"My pleasure," Knuckles said, smirking. "I needed the workout."

The Zone Cops (the authorities in the zones) would arrest Eggman and his robots now, once again. The animals would scurry back to their homes, grateful for Sonic and his friends. And Sonic and his friends would chill out together, happy to have Eggman out of the picture for now.

Truly, Sonic was getting quite tired of Eggman's antics, having to deal with it quite frequently. Maybe next time it would take longer for Eggman to come back. Little did Sonic know yet, he would have been happy to constantly deal with Eggman rather than the enemy he would soon have to worry about. Little did he know…


	2. Ice Cream and News

**Chapter 2: Ice Cream and News**

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles returned home victorious. Eggman was defeated, and the day was still young. The three talked and joked as they made their way back to Sonic's house, under the impression that the day was still free. When they got there, unfortunately, Sonic was greeted by his self-appointed girlfriend, Amy Rose…

Amy was a bright pink hedgehog with a short red skirt, big red boots, and green eyes similar to Sonic's. Her voice was high and her life revolved around Sonic. Ever since he had first rescued her from Dr. Eggman, Sonic couldn't catch a break from her, being chased and beckoned by Amy all the time. Sonic didn't hate Amy, but was easily annoyed by her obsession for him (after all, who could blame him).

"SOOOOONNIIIIIIIIICCC!" Amy cried when she saw the blue hedgehog.

"Oh no," Sonic mumbled, as his aficionado came running at him with open arms.

Sonic made an attempt to run away, but it was too late; Amy tackled him to the grassy ground, instantly smothering him.

"Oh, Sonic! You're ok!" Amy exclaimed, hugging and brushing herself all over her idol. "As soon as I heard about Eggman, I thought it'd be dangerous! You should have brought me with you – I have a Piko Piko Hammer, you know…"

"A…Amy…you're…cru-crushing…meee…" Sonic tried to inform her, squirming out of her firm grasp.

"Sorry… but I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Amy said, crushing Sonic with a hug as soon as he got up.

All the while, Tails and Knuckles laughed; Amy's antics with Sonic never got old to them. Eventually, Sonic got Amy to release him, and turned to face everyone.

"Well, the Zone Cops have taken care of Eggman and his robots – and all the animals are home safe," Sonic said.

"Thanks to you, Sonic!" Tails finished, patting his friend on the back.

"No, no – without you two, I couldn't have pulled it off," Sonic thanked Tails and Knuckles.

They couldn't deny that. Tails had helped take care of the robots, and Knuckles stopped Eggman from escaping. Of course, Sonic had taken down Metal Sonic; they made a great team. Amy was jumping up and down anxiously while the three continued to talk.

"Can't we do something?!" she asked. Amy was also known for her extremely short attention span, and hated being bored.

"Like what?" Sonic asked.

"Go out for ice cream!" Amy suggested, grinning widely.

"What do you guys think?" Sonic asked Tails and Knuckles.

Knuckles spoke first, "Can't; I need to take care of things back home."

"I'm up for that," Tails replied.

"Well… I don't know…" Sonic started, purposefully trying to drive Amy up the wall.

"Please! Please, please, please! I haven't spent any time with you today, Sonic!" Amy pleaded, shaking Sonic's body with her arms.

"Ok… I guess we can go," Sonic decided, chuckling to himself. "I'll see you later, Knuckles."

"Sure thing," Knuckles replied, and then took off from Sonic's house.

Sonic's house was small but cozy - a tiny brown building. It was fine for Sonic though – other than the fact Amy knew where it was. With Knuckles gone, Sonic, Tails, and Amy went out to Johnny's Ice Cream Shop together.

* * *

Amy was a regular customer here; on her list of 'Favorite Things', ice cream was only second to Sonic. And nearly every day, she would drag Sonic along with her to Johnny's. Sure enough, the owner's name was Johnny Trunkee, a stout brown hedgehog that had a fondness for Amy and Sonic.

"Good to see you again, my favorite customers!" Johnny greeted Sonic and Amy as they came in. "And Tails, too! It's been a while!"

"Hey, Mr. Trunkee!" Tails flashed a smile at Johnny.

"I'll have a large vanilla in a waffle cone with _lots_ of rainbow sprinkles, please!" Amy said as she ran over to the counter.

"Sure, sure! What about you two?" Johnny asked Sonic and Tails as he began to scoop out Amy's ice cream.

"I'd like a medium chocolate in a cup, please," Tails told Johnny.

"Alright. And you, Sonic?" Johnny asked the blue hedgehog.

"I'll have a small chocolate in a sugar cone, chocolate sprinkles," Sonic replied.

"Very well!" Johnny said, eventually handing them their three ice creams respectively.

"Thanks, Mr. Trunkee!" Amy said, and Sonic and Tails went on to thank the owner as well.

"Anytime, anytime! And hey – it's on me!" Johnny said, deciding to give his favorite customers free treatment.

"Awesome!" Tails exclaimed, licking his chocolate ice cream.

As they went to sit down at a table, Johnny called Sonic over. "Oh, and Sonic! I have something to give you!"

Surprised, Sonic set his ice cream at the table and ran over to see what was up. Johnny fumbled around in his pockets for a moment, before pulling out a small piece of crumpled parchment. It had a 10-digit number written on it.

"Some stranger came in earlier today, said he wanted to meet with you as soon as possible – he knew that you come here," Johnny told Sonic. He handed Sonic the paper, which had the stranger's phone number neatly written on it. "He left this for you to contact him when you could."

"Thanks," Sonic said, taking the paper and heading back to the table to rejoin his friends.

"What was that all about?" Tails asked.

"Nothing; some guy wants to meet me ASAP. Don't know why yet," Sonic explained, showing them the paper.

"Hmmm… Probably another fan," Amy said, scratching her chin. "Can't be as important as me…"

"Well, I guess you'd better call him soon," Tails said.

"Yeah, when I get back home," Sonic replied, and they proceeded to enjoy their ice cream.

Sonic couldn't help but wonder what he was wanted for. It might just be another fan. On the other hand, it might be something more important. Either way, Sonic decided not to ignore it, and call the stranger when he got home.


	3. Dinner with Dominic Payne

**Chapter 3: Dinner with Dominic Payne**

After the ice cream, Sonic went back to his house to call up the stranger as planned. He managed to get Amy to go back to her house rather than follow him home, too (what luck!). It was past midday now, and the sky was still a beautiful bright blue.

Once Sonic was in his house, he dialed the number on his phone. It wasn't long before the stranger picked up.

"Hello?" a deep voice asked.

"Hey – it's Sonic. You wanted to meet with me?" Sonic started.

"Ah yes… Sonic…" the stranger replied. His voice was steady, deep, and clear, and easily recognizable. "Why don't you meet me at Marino's for dinner tonight? We have much to discuss."

"What's your name? Why do you want to meet me?" Sonic tried to ask.

"All in good time, Sonic… I'll explain everything later – I don't have time now. Why don't we meet at… six o'clock?" the stranger suggested.

"Fine, six o'clock at Marino's," Sonic agreed.

"Goodbye," the stranger said, hanging up the phone right after.

Sonic hung up his phone, still in the dark. Why was this guy so reluctant to give anything away over the phone? And for some reason, he seemed rushed. For now, Sonic just decided to go along with it.

* * *

A few hours passed, and six o'clock was drawing near. Sonic got ready for his trip to the restaurant, anxious to meet this stranger. Marino's was an Italian restaurant; Sonic had only been there a couple times before. Fortunately, being the fastest thing alive, he didn't have to worry about making it on time.

When Sonic did arrive at Marino's, the waiter at the front instantly recognized him.

"You must be Sonic! Mr. Payne is already here waiting for you – let me show you to your table," the waiter said, walking Sonic to Payne's table.

Payne was already seated, waiting for the blue blur to arrive. He was human, but much more normal-looking than Eggman. He was average in height and width - the ideal size. His hair was jet black, and his eyes were dark blue – the color of the suit he was wearing. Payne's face was stern and unmoving, giving him an intimidating look.

"Hello, Sonic. I am Dominic Payne," Payne introduced himself as Sonic took a seat.

The waiter took Sonic's order, having already taken Dominic's. Sonic ordered a simple pasta dish. Dominic had ordered a chicken dish.

"Hey, Mr. Payne. What did you have me here for?" Sonic asked, not caring if he sounded rude or not.

"I suppose that's the catch, isn't it? You see, Sonic, you're known and loved by everyone for your heroics. There must be… so many perks to be in your position," Payne began.

"So?" Sonic asked.

"So, you can do things that no one else can," Payne continued. "I want you to do some favors for me. Things that anyone else could get in serious trouble for…

"Like what?" Sonic asked, concerned now.

"For one thing, I need a lot of cash. You could make a trip to the bank for me… you're so fast no one would be able to even notice it was you. And if you _are_ found out, you'll be forgiven – because you're well-liked."

"I'm sorry, but you must be crazy," Sonic spouted, angry now. "I'm not a criminal."

"I don't care what you do and don't consider yourself," Payne replied, unfazed. "There won't be any trouble if you just cooperate, Sonic."

"Why should I listen to you, anyway? And why do you want me?" Sonic demanded.

"I already told you why – because of your speed, and popularity. And if you don't listen to me, there'll be regrettable consequences," Payne explained, staring into Sonic's eyes.

Before Sonic could talk again, their food was brought out. Marino's was notable for their quick service; the dishes they had requested must have been ready in advance. Sonic took in everything Payne had said, and they began eating. Eventually, once he was finished, Sonic spoke again.

"What kind of consequences?" he questioned.

"I don't think you'd want to know," Payne answered. "I suppose you'll find out if you don't do as I ask."

"Why shouldn't I just turn you in to the Zone Cops?" Sonic suggested, thinking Payne wouldn't have a good answer.

"It won't do you much good to try to tell them, let alone anyone, really," Payne replied. "I can tell you right now that they won't find me."

"Oh, really? I think you're just bluffing," Sonic said, crossing his arms.

"Think what you want, Sonic," Payne said, still showing no emotion. "In the end, it'll be your decision. When I call you, you do as I instruct, or there'll be a dreadful consequence."

"Whatever you say, Dom," Sonic shrugged off, tired of this conservation.

The waiter came back with separate bills, and Sonic paid for his in cash. He then got up to leave, not wanting to spend any more time with this madman. Who did he think he was, anyway? Sonic was going to ask how he knew he went to the ice cream shop all the time, but decided against it at this point.

"Goodbye, Sonic. I hope you'll think things over," Payne said, not worried by Sonic's refusal. "We'll be in touch."

Sonic left then, frustrated with himself for deciding to call him earlier. If he hadn't, then Payne wouldn't have his number. There were still so many mysteries surrounding Payne, but Sonic didn't care that much right now. He just wanted to get away from him and back to his house. The sky was finally getting dark as Sonic left Marino's and made his way home.


	4. The Babylon Rogues and Dr Eggman Again

**Chapter 4: The Babylon Rogues and Dr. Eggman Again**

Sonic went to sleep that night with a sour taste in his mouth, obviously disappointed in his meeting with Dominic Payne. Who was he to boss Sonic around, let alone ask him to commit crimes for him?! It was just absurd – he had to be bluffing, right?

* * *

Sonic jolted awake early in the morning when his phone started to ring. He rubbed his eyes, knowing he was being cheated out of lots of sleep.

_This better not be Payne…_ Sonic thought to himself, groggily getting out of bed to answer the phone.

"Hello?" he asked tiredly.

"Sonic! It's Tails! You have to get down to Martin's Jewelry Store, now!" Tails said, clearly panicked.

Sonic snapped awake at that point. "What?! Why?"

"The Babylon Rogues are attempting a heist there – I'm using a payphone near the shop now! You wouldn't believe it; I was just out for a morning walk, and –"

"Ok, I get it – I'll be there as soon as I can," Sonic replied, hanging up the phone and dashing out of his house.

* * *

The Babylon Rogues were a group of three thieves, once hired by Dr. Eggman to race against Sonic in a tournament (in the end, Eggman had manipulated them to acquire a treasure – which ended up disappointingly being a magic carpet). Jet the Hawk led the group, a green hawk with red and black boots and blue eyes. He considered himself Sonic's rival, at least at racing. Wave the Swallow was a purple swallow with an aptitude for technology; she wore red boots, and white and purple clothing. Because of her mechanical brain, she had made a rivalry with Tails. Finally, Storm the Albatross was a gray and white albatross with super strength. He had found rivalry with Knuckles because of their strength, and was very loyal to the Rogues group.

Beating them wouldn't be an easy task; they loved money and would do anything to get it, being experienced thieves and all. Sonic eventually met up with Tails at the payphone booth near Martin's Jewelry Store. Where were the Zone Cops when you needed them?

"Did you call the cops yet?" Sonic asked his friend.

"Yes – they said they were coming like ten minutes ago!" Tails replied.

"Why is it always our responsibility to take care of these things," Sonic muttered, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Knuckles showed up, speeding onto the scene.

"What'd I miss?" he asked Tails.

Tails turned to Sonic. "I called him again; we can't take out the Rouges without him! Not Storm, anyway."

"Not easily, at least," Sonic added. "Thanks for coming, Knuckles. Let's take care of these rogues."

The three sped to the jewelry store, finding the Babylon Rogues inside. They were stuffing all sorts of necklaces, diamonds, bracelets, and other gems into bags, hungry for a profit. And it looked like they were almost done; a good thing Sonic and Knuckles showed up on time.

Once they were in the store, Sonic greeted the rogues with, "Give us the jewelry now – and no one gets hurt."

"Well, well, well; if it isn't the blue blur himself – Sonic," Jet said, grinning maliciously at the hedgehog. "Guys, I think you know what to do – get them!"

Naturally, battle ensued. Jet immediately went for Sonic, throwing hard punches at him. Sonic was hit once in the chest, but avoided the other swings. Eventually, he returned with a roundhouse kick to Jet's center, sending him into the wall.

Knuckles commenced battle with Storm, testing their strength against each other. At first Knuckles was able to land some hard hits against the giant, but once he recovered, Storm grabbed Knuckles by the leg and swung him across the room!

Meanwhile, Tails and Wave clashed in another side of the room. Tails dodged all of Wave's attacks, and managed to get a good kick at her at one point. Angrily, Wave got up, and threw nearby objects at Tails in a blind fury. Tails flew out of the way with his two tails, avoiding a lamp, cases of jewelry, and other miscellaneous objects.

Sonic was winning his fight with Jet, avoiding most of his attacks and getting several of his own jabs at the green hawk. Eventually Jet became sluggish, clearly outmatched by Sonic in combat.

Storm was highly destructive with Knuckles, throwing tables and other large objects at the echidna; luckily all of them missed, including a large cabinet the size of Storm himself. They both managed to hit each other frequently with their hands though, but no advantage was truly reached.

Eventually, sirens were going off outside the store - the Zone Cops had arrived; a lucky thing for Tails and Knuckles too, who had started to become tired with their fights. Then again, Wave and Storm were also growing weary, not able to gain the upper hand over their rivals either. The Zone Cops burst into the room, and right away trained their laser guns at the Babylon Rogues. Knowing they were outnumbered and defeated, the Rogues surrendered to the cops.

"Blasted Zone Cops," Storm mumbled.

"Thanks for your help, Sonic," the lead Zone Cop said, as he handcuffed Jet beside Sonic. "And you two as well, Tails and Knuckles!"

"It's no problem," Sonic replied. He then gestured to the packed, brown bags on the ground, "You'll find all the jewelry in the bags."

"Sorry we're late," another Zone Cop said.

"At least you got here," Tails muttered, crossing his arms.

Storm and Wave were also cuffed, and the cops proceeded to take the Rogues to their cars. Then, a thought suddenly crossed Sonic's mind. He ran outside quickly before the cops left.

"Hey, guys! Could you give me a lift to the prison?" Sonic asked the Zone Cops. Since he didn't know his way to the prison, it would be easier to just have them drive him there.

"Uh… sure… why?" the lead Zone Cop asked him.

"There's someone I want to see," Sonic replied.

* * *

There was no guarantee whatsoever, but Sonic was curious to see if Dr. Eggman knew anything about Dominic. They were both bad guys, right? Maybe there'd be a chance…

When they arrived at the prison, some of the cops took the Babylon Rogues to their cells, while the lead Zone Cop escorted Sonic to see Eggman. It was a lousy way to start the day, first having to deal with the Rogues and then talking with Eggman - but it had to be done. Sonic and the lead Zone Cop passed by a cell containing Orbot and Cubot, who were bickering like usual. Eventually they reached Eggman's cell; they found him in a slump, resting a hand against his bald head. He looked up to find Sonic, and then grunted as the lead Zone Cop left.

"What do you want, hedgehog?" Eggman asked, agitated.

"Do you know a man named Dominic Payne?" Sonic asked him, trying his best to avoid any awkwardness between his archenemy.

"Dominic Payne… why of course!" Eggman said, surprisingly followed by a smile.

"Who is he?" Sonic asked, pleased that Eggman knew him.

"A brilliant scientist, much like myself," Eggman answered, reminiscing. "Of course, he got to keep his hair…"

"What else about him?" Sonic questioned, before Eggman could get too off-topic.

"Well, he was always thinking, always thinking of the next step for everything. He helped me create a few of my machines, in fact, and we both respected each other deeply. Back when you first crossed me, in fact, I told him about you. He was always fascinated about you, would always bring you up in conversation. It was quite strange, really; I don't know why he was so obsessed with you."

Sonic thought to himself for a moment. _So Eggman and Dominic were friends… But I still don't know why he has it in for me…_

As Sonic kept thinking, Eggman went on, "But one day, Dominic just left! He tells me, 'Ivo, we can't work together anymore. I need to start doing things by myself now'. I was disappointed, of course, and I haven't seen him since. That happened quite a while ago…"

Another thought crossed Sonic's mind. _Maybe Dominic left because of how often Eggman failed at destroying me, and he wanted to try it himself?_

In the end, Sonic couldn't figure it out for now. There wasn't enough information. He decided not to tell Eggman that Dominic had approached him, though – it was probably for the best.

"Why do you want to know, anyway?" Eggman suddenly inquired, now frustrated with himself for telling Sonic anything.

"Never mind that – thanks," Sonic said, leaving Eggman in his cell.

Now that the Babylon Rogues and Eggman were in jail, hopefully Dominic was all that was left. Unfortunately, Sonic had no idea where to find him, or even why he was out to get him yet. Hopefully more would be answered soon…


	5. Something's Wrong

**Chapter 5: Something's Wrong**

When Sonic got back to his house, he was surprised to not find Amy there. Usually she would lie in wait for him, that way she could ensure he wouldn't escape her. As soon as he walked through the front door, his phone started to ring. At first, he ran over to pick it up, but then realized it might have been Dominic. Sonic decided to let him leave a message (if he really cared that much).

Once the ringing was over, Dominic left the message: "Sonic? Mr. Hedgehog? I'm sure you're there, but anyways, here's the deal – I wouldn't mind having some extra cash here, and you're just the guy I need. Get me ten thousand dollars from the First National Bank, at four o'clock this afternoon. Meet me outside of Johnny's Ice Cream Shop to deliver the money as soon as you're done. If you don't meet these conditions, as I warned you before, you'll face a consequence. Think about it."

With that, Payne hung up. Sonic took a deep sigh, thinking over all this. He couldn't just rob the bank; for one thing it was illegal, and why should he do Payne's bidding anyway? In the end, Sonic thought that he was just bluffing, and decided to ignore him.

The next moment, a knock came at the door. Sonic rushed over to open the door and greet Tails, who looked a bit concerned.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

Sonic nodded, and Tails entered his house. It was still fairly early, even after the escapade with the Babylon Rogues. Tails took a seat on Sonic's sofa while Sonic sat on his chair.

"So why'd you go to the jail?" Tails asked.

"I wanted to see if Eggman knew anything about Dominic Payne," Sonic explained.

"Dominic Payne?" Tails inquired.

Sonic then remembered he hadn't told his friend yet. "Oh, right. He's the stranger that left his number at Johnny's. I met up with him last night at Marino's for dinner. He wants me to do favors for him, like illegal stuff; naturally I turned him down. In fact, he just called me a second ago, telling me to rob the First National Bank for him!"

"You're not doing it, are you?" Tails made sure.

"Of course not," Sonic replied. "He wants ten thousand dollars, the lunatic! He says if I don't do it, I'll 'face a consequence'; personally I just think he's bluffing."

"How do you know for sure?" Tails wondered.

"I don't, but he doesn't have much credibility if you ask me," Sonic said. "Eggman told me that he and Dominic used to be friends, but he mysteriously left him one day…"

"Whoa, he was Eggman's friend?! Then this guy has to be trouble!" Tails exclaimed. "Maybe you should be taking him more seriously…"

"Well I can't just go rob a bank, now can I?" Sonic replied.

"No… but I don't think he's bluffing," Tails said. "He was pals with Eggman! He's probably at least as dangerous!"

"Eggman hasn't exactly been too dangerous lately, has he?" Sonic countered.

"All I'm saying is that Payne is probably serious, and you might be in trouble no matter what you do," Tails stated. "I'm worried now…"

"Don't be; even if he's not joking, I can take him," Sonic said. Then, on a different note, he asked, "You haven't heard from Amy today, have you?"

"Nope – not at all," Tails answered.

"That's weird; usually she would have bugged me by now," Sonic said.

"I hope she's all right," Tails murmured.

"You worry too much. She must be oversleeping or getting ice cream or something," Sonic brushed it off.

"Well, I had just been wondering about the jail and everything, but I guess I know now," Tails said. "I'm gonna get back home to catch up on some rest."

"Gotcha," Sonic said. "Thanks for dropping by. Let me know if you hear from Amy."

Tails nodded, and got up to leave. Sonic thought back to Payne as Tails left, and considered his friend's words. Perhaps he really did mean business?

* * *

Hours passed, and eventually four o'clock came around. Sonic stuck to his guns, not wanting to break the law _or_ do Payne's dirty work. However, he still didn't hear anything from Amy – it has to have been the longest time Amy didn't bother him at once…

Sonic decided to call her, but all he got was: _Hi, you've reached Amy! Please leave your name and message at the beep – and if it's Sonic, I'm SO sorry I missed your call! Call me again – bye!_

That was the first time Amy hadn't picked up for Sonic. When she wasn't with him, almost all the time she was available at home. Something was definitely wrong…

Sonic decided to go to Johnny's Ice Cream Shop to try to find her. If she was anywhere, it was probably her favorite place, after all. However, when he arrived, she wasn't there – no one was.

It was odd walking into the Ice Cream Shop with no one there – not even Johnny himself; it was ominous, really. The shop was completely empty, with just the chairs and tables accompanying Sonic. He was starting to get the feeling that he was being watched…

_Where the heck is Johnny?!_ Sonic thought to himself, starting to panic.

Before he could think of anything else, Sonic felt a swift hit to the back of his head. It was hard and precise, enough to knock him out. The hedgehog collapsed to the floor, and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait on this chapter; it took a little longer than I had hoped for. Speaking of, it might take me a little more time to update now that I have more things going on. Anyways, thanks to everyone following and supporting the story, and I hope you're all enjoying it - thanks again!**


	6. Captured

**Chapter 6: Captured**

Sonic groggily awoke inside of a laboratory environment, with machinery and equipment everywhere. He couldn't move very far; his arms and legs were cuffed against the wall behind him. Suddenly, the door across the room opened, and Dominic Payne came toward him. He was wearing a cream-colored suit, and had his jet black hair neatly combed.

"Do you like my abode?" Payne began. When Sonic didn't say anything, he continued with a small smirk, "You didn't heed my warning."

"Why should I have?" Sonic replied, despite knowing he had been wrong.

"What, you can't take me seriously? I'm offended," Payne replied, shaking his head.

"I don't know how you expected me to go around robbing banks for you; in case you didn't remember, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog - you know, the guy that fights _against_ evil?" Sonic said, trying to prove his point.

"I don't care about that," Payne said, looking away from his prisoner. "Anyways, I was fairly certain you would choose to ignore me. I was preparing for that, so I had captured your girlfriend, Ms. Rose, earlier…"

"What?! First off, she's not my girlfriend, and second, she's got nothing to do with this! Let her go!" Sonic demanded, angered now.

"Why should I do that?" Payne asked. "I also told you there'd be a consequence if you didn't follow my instructions. Of course, you chose to disregard me, but you must realize in the end that this is your fault."

"MY fault?! You're a madman! Just a criminal who wants money!" Sonic spat.

Payne returned his gaze to Sonic, his dark blue eyes boring into Sonic's light green ones. "You know what your problem is? You're too assuming; you truly don't know what you're dealing with. You're used to common fools like Robotnik or the Babylon Rogues. I'm not interested in money, Sonic – it's much more important than that."

"Than what _are_ you interested in? Why would you have asked me to rob the bank?" Sonic asked.

"All in good time," Payne replied, smiling from the corners of his mouth. "I don't really think you deserve to know right now. You've been very defiant to me. However, I can tell you something else…"

"What?!" Sonic demanded.

"Your consequence," Payne answered. "I could have chosen to torture you in some way or another, but I decided it wouldn't have been as effective. That's part of the reason why I captured Rose."

Sonic immediately realized what he meant. "How could you?! She's innocent!"

"Maybe so, but unfortunately for her she's close to you. It's nothing personal against the lady, but I think we can agree her anguish will hurt you… quite efficiently…" Dominic said, looking stern.

Sonic struggled to break free, but found it was no use. Panicked now, he yelled at Dominic, "LET HER GO!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Payne replied, keeping calm. "She may live, but I must break her first to teach you a lesson."

Sonic hung his head, having just about given up. _I let this lunatic kidnap Amy and me… it's all my fault…_

"She's in another room; I brought her here early this morning," Payne went on. "I had to kill Johnny as well at the ice cream shop; I couldn't have him getting in the way of our business. You see, all of this is a lot more complicated than the way you perceive it now. I will explain more later – after you face your consequence…"

And with that, Dominic walked away, leaving through the door he had entered from. Sonic had never felt worse in his life; this villain was so much more evil and serious than any of his past foes. It seemed he would stop at nothing to tear apart Sonic's life!

Sonic looked around the room again, observing different tools and technology that surrounded him – computer-like machines, small sharp objects, and other strange things. It all felt so hollow – so unnatural and depressing; even if it looked like just another laboratory room, something felt so miserable and lost in this room…

As Sonic was deep in thought, he could hear a scream from another room. It belonged to Amy.

"AMY!" Sonic yelled out, struggling again, still to no avail.

He felt so helpless, so guilty. Perhaps if he had robbed that bank, Amy would be all right, and Payne would have left him alone? Or maybe no matter what he did, Payne would make Sonic suffer. But why…?

Sonic didn't know how Payne was torturing Amy, but he couldn't stand any of it. As he heard her scream again, guilt overcame him worse than ever before. This was one of his closest friends, and she was being tortured by this maniac. Even if Payne was the bad guy, Sonic wasn't doing anything to prevent this – he had failed...

Soon the screams went away, much to Sonic's relief. Even so, the damage had been done; he could only hope Amy wasn't hurt too badly. Sonic felt an immense hatred for Payne overcome him that moment, and in his biggest time of desperation, he vowed he would not let Payne get away with any of this…

* * *

**A/N: Again I apologize for the wait on the chapter, but like I said, unfortunately now I'm going to be a lot busier and not have as much time to write. Still, I had planned for this chapter to be on sometime last week, but it didn't happen. I realize this chapter was a lot shorter and darker than the others, but it's all intentional. I'm sorry to any followers if I've disappointed you with the waiting - I promise though that I'll do my best to finish this story and write when I can. I have most of the rest of it planned out, plot twists and all, it's just that lots has been going on lately. Sometimes though I don't have the right inspiration and have lots of personal issues going on right now. However, writing is my passion, so I hope to keep doing it and hopefully please most of you. Thanks for reading everyone - hope you enjoyed it.**


	7. Tails Alone

**Chapter 7: Tails Alone**

Ever since he disappeared early last night, Tails had been extremely worried about Sonic. There was definitely something odd going on; first Amy, and then Sonic suddenly disappear! Hopefully nothing bad was happening…

Tails had tried to call Sonic three times last night – once a little after four, at seven, and then at nine o'clock. No responses. Also, Tails had tried to call Knuckles, but he didn't know about Sonic either. He decided to sleep on it, but when he went to Sonic's house the next morning, he was not there. So, as a last resort, Tails decided to go around the area asking for his friend's whereabouts.

First Tails traveled to the police department since it was closest. He asked the same zone cop that had helped them take in the Babylon Rouges.

"Hey, Mr…"

"Hopkins. And you are…?" The officer asked.

"Tails," Tails answered. "I was with Sonic when the Rogues tried to rob the bank."

"Oh, right," Hopkins realized. "What brings you here?"

"I was just wondering if you've seen Sonic recently," Tails replied.

"Not since the Babylon Rogues struck," Hopkins replied. "How come?"

"I tried to call him and went to his house, but he wasn't there," Tails replied. "I don't know why he'd have come here, but I was just checking."

"I'm afraid he hasn't," Hopkins said, scratching his chin. "I hope he's alright…"

"Me too," Tails muttered. "Thanks anyway."

"Anytime," Hopkins said as Tails walked off.

_Who else can I ask?_ Tails thought for a moment. Then, the answer came to him. _Johnny should know!_

With that, Tails went to Johnny's Ice Cream Shop. Maybe Sonic and Amy were having an extensive date over there? Either way, there was almost no one else to ask.

When Tails arrived, he wasn't greeted by Johnny like usual; he wasn't even there! No one else was either.

"Hello?" Tails called out, to make sure Johnny wasn't in the backroom.

Tails wandered over to the counter, and what met his eyes next shocked him. Immediately, he turned away, feeling like he was going to vomit. Behind the counter was Johnny's corpse, a sharp object impaled through his body.

* * *

As quickly as could, Tails rushed back to the police department to inform them of this incident. The poor fox was shocked and horrified, to say the least. Officer Hopkins was still at the main desk.

"Mr. Hopkins! There's been a murder, at Johnny's Ice Cream Shop!" Tails told him, wildly panicking.

Hopkins's eyes popped open, and he got out of the desk.

"What happened?!" the officer questioned.

"I'm not exactly sure… J-Johnny… he got stabbed with something!" Tails said, putting his hands to his head.

"OK, keep calm, son," Hopkins said, putting a hand on the fox's shoulder. "I'll send some of my men over to check it out right now. Is there anything else we can do?"

Tails thought for a moment, and then an idea sprang to his mind. "I need to see Eggman."

"Very well," Hopkins said.

From there, he led Tails down a hallway to reach Eggman. Tails didn't know for sure, but he thought Dr. Eggman might be responsible somehow for something; after all, he was always causing trouble for Sonic. Maybe he had orchestrated something behind bars, and sent his henchmen to do something? Eggman was twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ground when they arrived. He looked up to find Tails and Hopkins, and heaved a sigh.

"What is it now?" the bald scientist asked.

Hopkins left, and Tails asked him, "What happened to Sonic?!"

Eggman sarcastically looked to his left and right, then replied, "Haven't seen him."

"Seriously, I mean it!" Tails insisted.

"What do I look like, his twin?" Eggman spat. "Why should I know?"

"Because whenever something bad happens, you're usually responsible!" Tails accused him.

"I've been locked up in this cage ever since you last put me in here!" Eggman retorted, crossing his arms. "What happened now, anyway?"

"Sonic and Amy are missing, and Johnny at the ice cream shop was killed!" Tails explained.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it doesn't have anything to do with me," Eggman said. "One thing I am not is a killer. That is an odd occurrence though; who would have a grudge against Johnny, anyway?"

Tails realized he had definitely been wrong. Eggman would not kill anyone purposefully, and he had been stuck here the whole time. He could have gotten his henchmen to do something, but it made sense that he wasn't responsible after all. It probably had something to do with that Payne guy…

"Sorry to bother you," Tails said, leaving Eggman in the cell.

As he left the police department, Tails had no idea what to do. Eggman wasn't guilty, Johnny was dead, and Sonic and Amy were still missing. If it wasn't Eggman, it had to be Dominic Payne – who else could be responsible for all this?

Depressed, Tails decided to return home for now. The police would take care of Johnny, and hopefully find out who killed him. He couldn't really relax, but Tails felt safer at his house than anywhere else…


End file.
